Elderly live in squalor despite donations
Elderly live in squalor despite donations

Elderly live in squalor despite donations

Kenya Kambowe
Steel beds, mattresses, expensive wardrobes, a television set, a DStv decoder, fridges, chairs, tables, lockers, expensive kitchen utensils and other equipment, which would better the lives of the elderly living in squalor at a Tsumeb old-age home, have been gathering dust in storage since 2015.

Overtures by Good Samaritans to renovate and maintain the facility have also been put on ice, as the elderly continue to live in squalor and dilapidation.

This comes amid fears that a portion of the property on which the old-age home is situated could soon be sold to a developer to build a N$40-million recreational centre.

A Namibian Sun investigation has revealed that the Martin Shailemo Old Age in Tsumeb's Nomstoub location has been receiving donations worth hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years, mostly from Dundee Precious Metals.

However, as confusion reigns over the future of the old-age home, volunteers have held back on installing the donated items and renovating the facility.

A recent visit revealed the harsh conditions the elderly are exposed to on a daily basis.

The buildings are in a dire state. Ceilings are damaged, toilets and drains are blocked, which has created raw sewage pools around the premises, and the environment is filthy, with litter scattered all over, inevitably compromising the health of the residents.

Currently, there are 25 elderly people accommodated at the old-age home, with the oldest resident aged 94. According to community activist Moses Awiseb, who runs the old-age home, the situation has been like that for many years now.

“As you can see the buildings are in a dilapidated state. If you go in the rooms of the elderly you will feel sorry for them. The toilets are blocked and when we call the municipality, they keep telling us that they are on their way but we wait for days and sometimes they don't come and then we have to think of another plan,” Awiseb said.

He said there is only a matron and a volunteer who take care of the elderly from 08:00 to 17:00, which means residents are on their own when the sun sets until it rises again the next day.

Awiseb said this is very dangerous and compromises the safety of the elderly. The old-age home is not fenced off and is situated in close proximity to shebeens and nightclubs in a dangerous neighbourhood.







Awiseb said there is nothing they can do, because of the unavailability of funds, which is why they cannot employ a security guard or any staff member to look after the elderly at night. “We are just here as volunteers, there is no salary for us,” Awiseb said.

He said because of security reasons they were forced to store the equipment they had received as donations from various stakeholders at a council site in town. Most of the donations have been made by Dundee since 2015.



Property ownership question

In 2013 it was reported that the Tsumeb Municipality plans to lease part of the old-age home to a well-known businessman who wants to build an N$40 million recreational centre. Awiseb said this has led to concerned stakeholders who visit the old-age home and decide to assist with the renovation of buildings, to pull the plug after saying that investors are afraid their efforts will go to waste. “There are a number of people who can even start renovations today, but they are afraid since there is talk about the property been sold and they do not want to face the consequences of working on a property that has been or is to be allocated to someone else,” Awiseb said.

According to the deeds office, Erf 76 in Leevi Mwashekele Street in Nomstoub is an unregistered property.

Awiseb said the property belongs to the community, as it was donated decades ago to it, and therefore it cannot be sold. He questioned where the old people will go if the property is sold, saying that most of the elderly are without family. Awiseb said they also established a welfare organisation, the Tsumeb Social Economic Upliftment Welfare Organisation (Tseuwo), which has the mandate to administer the affairs of the old-age home.

Recently a number of youth from Tsumeb have also shown an interest to assist the elderly, after they raised funds to renovate the premises, but they were told to wait.

When approached for comment, council spokesperson, Stella Imalwa-Nangolo said they are still engaging the developer regarding the leasing of part of the property.

Imalwa-Nangolo stressed the fact that only part of the area will be given to the developer, and that there are conditions to the contract regarding the old-age home, which the developer will have to adhere to.

She said those stakeholders who want to render construction assistance should delay their plans and rather focus on other needs.

She also said the Tseuwo committee should seek an audience with council, before adding that the municipality's plan is to benefit both the old-age home and the community of Tsumeb.

KENYA KAMBOWE

Comments

Namibian Sun 2024-03-28

No comments have been left on this article

Please login to leave a comment

Katima Mulilo: 19° | 37° Rundu: 17° | 33° Eenhana: 18° | 33° Oshakati: 20° | 31° Ruacana: 19° | 33° Tsumeb: 17° | 29° Otjiwarongo: 16° | 28° Omaruru: 18° | 31° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Gobabis: 17° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 19° Wind speed: 24km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 10:54, High tide: 04:57, Low Tide: 22:58, High tide: 17:16 Swakopmund: 15° | 17° Wind speed: 29km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:55, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:14 Walvis Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 33km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:54, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:13 Rehoboth: 18° | 29° Mariental: 22° | 32° Keetmanshoop: 21° | 34° Aranos: 21° | 31° Lüderitz: 15° | 29° Ariamsvlei: 23° | 34° Oranjemund: 15° | 21° Luanda: 27° | 30° Gaborone: 20° | 32° Lubumbashi: 17° | 24° Mbabane: 15° | 23° Maseru: 12° | 28° Antananarivo: 16° | 27° Lilongwe: 17° | 29° Maputo: 20° | 28° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Cape Town: 17° | 23° Durban: 21° | 25° Johannesburg: 18° | 28° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 18° | 30° Harare: 15° | 31° Currency: GBP to NAD 23.99 | EUR to NAD 20.54 | CNY to NAD 2.63 | USD to NAD 19.05 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.33 | EGP to NAD 0.39 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.74 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.8 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.23 | USD to DZD 134.13 | USD to AOA 832.63 | USD to BWP 13.71 | USD to EGP 47.35 | USD to KES 130.98 | USD to NGN 1415.13 | USD to ZAR 19.05 | USD to ZMW 24.97 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 73909.5 Up +0.41% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1516.02 Down -0.13% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 12981.98 Up +0.34% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 28224.37 Down -2.87% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 208.86/OZ UP +0.83% | Copper US$ 3.97/lb DOWN -0.0028 | Zinc US$ 2 445.40/T DOWN -0.45% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.07/BBP UP +0.79% | Platinum US$ 896.85/OZ UP +0.22% Sport results: Weather: Katima Mulilo: 19° | 37° Rundu: 17° | 33° Eenhana: 18° | 33° Oshakati: 20° | 31° Ruacana: 19° | 33° Tsumeb: 17° | 29° Otjiwarongo: 16° | 28° Omaruru: 18° | 31° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Gobabis: 17° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 19° Wind speed: 24km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 10:54, High tide: 04:57, Low Tide: 22:58, High tide: 17:16 Swakopmund: 15° | 17° Wind speed: 29km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:55, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:14 Walvis Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 33km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:54, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:13 Rehoboth: 18° | 29° Mariental: 22° | 32° Keetmanshoop: 21° | 34° Aranos: 21° | 31° Lüderitz: 15° | 29° Ariamsvlei: 23° | 34° Oranjemund: 15° | 21° Luanda: 27° | 30° Gaborone: 20° | 32° Lubumbashi: 17° | 24° Mbabane: 15° | 23° Maseru: 12° | 28° Antananarivo: 16° | 27° Lilongwe: 17° | 29° Maputo: 20° | 28° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Cape Town: 17° | 23° Durban: 21° | 25° Johannesburg: 18° | 28° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 18° | 30° Harare: 15° | 31° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.99 | EUR to NAD 20.54 | CNY to NAD 2.63 | USD to NAD 19.05 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.33 | EGP to NAD 0.39 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.74 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.8 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.23 | USD to DZD 134.13 | USD to AOA 832.63 | USD to BWP 13.71 | USD to EGP 47.35 | USD to KES 130.98 | USD to NGN 1415.13 | USD to ZAR 19.05 | USD to ZMW 24.97 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 73909.5 Up +0.41% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1516.02 Down -0.13% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 12981.98 Up +0.34% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 28224.37 Down -2.87% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 208.86/OZ UP +0.83% | Copper US$ 3.97/lb DOWN -0.0028 | Zinc US$ 2 445.40/T DOWN -0.45% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.07/BBP UP +0.79% | Platinum US$ 896.85/OZ UP +0.22%